On Saturday
evening Oct. 1, a group of veterans gathered at Dave's Last Chance Saloon on
Saunders Settlement Road in Lewiston for a meet and greet. They are members of
the Niagara University Student Veterans Association, which formed in 2010.

"We want to
establish Niagara University as a veteran-friendly campus," said Andy Rodems,
president of the association. He went on to state that the "purpose of the
organization was to help transition veterans from military to civilian life."

Who are these
veterans? Rodems completed two tours in Iraq with the U.S. Marine Corps. The
association's vice president, Jeff Laughlan, completed three tours in
Afghanistan with the U.S. Navy. The two officers illustrate the military
records of these new student veterans. Veterans from past military conflicts,
including the Vietnam War, are also represented within the association as
non-traditional students.

Rob Healy, student
veteran coordinator for the association, attended the Oct. 1 meet. He is tasked
with ensuring that veterans receive the educational benefits that they have earned as a result of their military service.

"Approximately 60
of the 4,300 students attending NU are military veterans. Eighteen are members
of the association," he said.

At the meet and
greet, the group's first order of business was not a discussion of its military
backgrounds or upcoming academic challenges, but service to the community. One
upcoming project is "Paws & Patriots," a program sponsored by the Erie
County SPCA that partners veterans in need with abused or abandoned pets. The group
is also working with Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 313 in Youngstown, assisting that organization in
the remodeling of its basement.

On Saturday, Nov.
12, from 4 to 8 p.m., the NU veterans are co-sponsoring a spaghetti dinner at
Dave's in support of the Stella B Foundation. According to Nadine Addenbrooke,
foundation spokesperson, "Stella Bis a local non-profit organization that
provides financial assistance for families of children with long-term and life-threatening
illnesses." For additional information, visit www.stellabfoundation.org.

Other community
service events hosted by the NU veterans will be held during the week of Nov.
7-10. Student veterans will staff an information booth on veterans' educational
and health issues at NU's Gallagher Center. On Veterans Day, Nov. 11, the group
will participate in a daylong ceremony reading the 6,000-plus names of the
battlefield dead from the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.

"Niagara
University will be one of 143 colleges and universities across the country
participating in this remembrance ceremony," Rodems said.